Back in high school I had a lot of friends who I played baseball with, and many of them had dreams of pursuing the sport at the college level so they could eventually move on to the MLB. One friend in particular had offers from many schools, however the schools that offered him a spot on their teams did not offer a scholarship with the spot.

As the days get longer and the sun shines a bit brighter, many families are getting ready to travel, go on vacations or start their summer grilling. Across the country, high school seniors are filling auditoriums to throw their caps in the air and say goodbye to the last four years of high school. With the end of of high school comes the beginning of college – and the costs that go with it. Many parents are looking for the best college saving tips to ensure a solid head-start.

A lot of people swear by their grandma’s secret chocolate chip cookie recipe – flour, butter, sugar, chocolate chips, and love – those ingredients combined somehow make the best cookies on the planet. That coupled with birthday cards and holidays at grandma’s and grandpa’s create some fantastic memories. In all, grandparents seem to be a constant fountain of gifts, hugs, kisses and love.

While most families associate 529 plans with college or university, few know that they can now be used for K-12 private education. The new tax law passed by Congress last year included a provision in which parents are now allowed to pay for private school education from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Under the new law, families can withdraw $10,000 per student per year to pay for tuition expenses at private elementary schools, high schools and parochial schools. Keep in mind though, the law only covers private institutions and only applies to tuition costs – it excludes things like books, laptops, or other expenses often covered by 529 plans.

Parents often have many questions about 529 Plans – what they are, how to use them, what their benefits are. We’ve covered all those topics in other posts here, but have not gone over some of the myths of the plans themselves. Here we outline five of the most popular myths of a 529 plan.

If you’re a typical parent, it’s likely you’ve never heard of the Michigan Education Trust (MET) but it spearheaded the 529 plan movement. Proposed in 1986, this program was intended to “help parents guarantee their children the opportunity of a Michigan college education.” This new fund afforded parents the option to pay a nominal stipulated amount in return for the state agreeing to pay tuition at any Michigan public college.

American students collectively carry more than $1.5 trillion in student loan debt while college expenses continue to rise rapidly every year. Many parents suffer the fate of witnessing their children graduate amid crippling debt. What steps can be taken to prevent this?

Sending children to college can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a parent’s life. The excitement of watching your son or daughter start a new journey, coupled with the promise of all the wonderful things they’re going to learn can bring immense joy. Knowing that the next few years will be a transformative experience, parents try to prepare for the road ahead as best they can. But let’s face it, the prospect can be a bit overwhelming. The cost of college has been rising steadily for decades. This is why parents need to know about the 529 plan!

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College Savings Calculator is a hypothetical tool that demonstrates how monthly contributions,
age-based asset rebalancing, and tax savings may impact the long-term value of your account,
and do not take into account a portfolio’s underlying investment management fees. Calculations
assume the private institution cost inflation is 2.8%, public out-of-state cost inflation is 3.9%,
and public in-state cost inflation is 2.7%. Portfolio is assumed to have only stocks and bonds.
Monthly equity returns are based on historical data from the 10-year track record of the stock market (SPY).
Monthly fixed income returns are based on historical data from the 10-year
track record of the bond market index (AGG). The current college expenses
are provided by collegeboard.org.
Actual account performance may differ due to market fluctuations, changes in recurring investments,
and asset allocation. The information provided here is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent
actual or future performance of any investment option and is not intended to predict or
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